CANTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — The Grandview Estates in Canton Township have been around since 2021. Residents who live here say they’ve dealt with flooding three times in the past four years.
“One of the problems is there is a drain in between every house. When this floods, those drains flood,” said Jim Sawyer, a resident of Grandview Estates.
The Grandview Estates subdivision which is off Denton road near Geddes.
The last time there was a flood in the neighborhood was April 3rd.
“This last flood, we had 8 inches of water in the basement, and it came in through the sump and in around the frame,” said Sawyer.
The company PulteGroup owns Grandview Estates, and they plan on building 514 homes in a new subdivision on Geddes Road north of Grandview Estates.
I reached out to the PulteGroup early Wednesday morning because Sawyer says he’s concerned that these new homes will make flooding worse in his neighborhood.
“Right now it’s all soil… but it looks like it’s all grass and weeds and that absorbs water,” said Sawyer. “If they build 500 and something houses over there, there’s going to be a lot of the absorption area covered up.”
I also spoke with Edward Przebienda, who lives in a house next to Grandview Estates.
He says, in 2023, flooding was so bad he had to take a canoe to get out of his house. He says he’s also concerned with the proposed housing project.
“One concern mainly is what they’re going to end up doing to the way the water flow,” said Przebienda
I asked the PulteGroup about the residents' concerns, but they weren’t available to speak to me as of Wednesday afternoon.
I reached out to a spokesperson from Wayne County Department of Public Services about the PulteGroup's proposed housing project and was sent this statement:
Wayne County has been in conversation with PulteGroup and Canton leadership to explore and implement solutions that address localized flooding concerns near the Grandview Estates area. While Fowler Creek is a natural watercourse and not under the jurisdiction of the County as a designated drain, Pulte has expressed willingness to support mitigation efforts. This includes cleaning a portion of Fowler Creek to improve flow and performing road work along Barr Rd. to assist with drainage. The County continues to work in collaboration with Pulte and other local stakeholders to identify feasible and effective actions.
